How Disease Works
Before diving into the history of mortality in Belgium, it helps to understand how disease actually works. How does an infection spread from one person to another? What makes an epidemic? What role do mosquitoes, bacteria, or social conditions play? This section explains the key concepts behind the stories you’ll find throughout this atlas.
What Is an Epidemic?
When does a disease cross the line from "normal" to alarming and what makes an epidemic different from everyday illness?
How Do Infections Spread?
From a contaminated handshake to a mosquito bite — how do diseases actually find their way into our bodies?
Mosquito-borne Diseases
Who has not been annoyed by the itch of a mosquito bite? Luckily, most bites are only a light nuisance. Yet, some mosquitoes may come with a disease-causing microbe.
Herd Immunity
Can your own immunity help protect people who cannot protect themselves — and if so, how many of us need to be immune for it to work?
Koch's Postulates
How do you prove that a specific microbe actually causes a disease — and not the other way around?
History of Diseases
Coming soon